Ramen, the ubiquitous noodles in a bowl of broth considered a Japanese “national dish” has actually originated from China over a century ago. Since then, it has extensively evolved to become an authentic Japanese food with varied ingredients reflecting regional styles and cultures. Today, ramen is served in the entire country from street carts, filling your cravings even in the middle of the night, to classy restaurants and specialty ramen houses in the cities.

Ramen is a well-loved dish around the world. In fact, it appeared in The Guardian’sThe 50 best things to eat in the world, and where to eat them. It is so popular that upon the invention of the instant noodles by Momofuku Ando in 1958 it created a whole food sub-culture in Japan. “Fresh noodles are the best,” but Instant ramen became a hit worldwide “… it was voted as the greatest Japanese export of the 20th century in a national poll…”[Read more…]